A bright word in the ear for those with winter blues

As the days shorten, many people's thoughts turn to how they can avoid the
dreaded winter blues. A break in the bright sunshine of Barbados or the
Canaries might appeal, although such tonics are expensive and soon wear off.

Related Articles

They have been working with a company called Valkee to come up with an iPod-like device for delivering a daily dose of artificial sunshine through a pair of tiny torches hidden in earbud headphones.

A clinical trial in 89 volunteers with SAD found 74 to 79 per cent were totally cured of depressive symptoms, when they used the device for between eight and 12 minutes a day. The results are being presented this week at the International Forum for Mood and Anxiety Disorders in Budapest.

One female participant, 43, said: "I used to eat a lot of chocolate during winter time and when stressed, but not anymore. My food cravings have ended."

Explaining the science, Timo Ahopelto, chief executive of Valkee, said: "We have found three different proteins in the brain that are all sensitive to light.

"You could say your brain is even more sensitive to light than your eyes, because the concentrations of these photo-receptors are higher in the brain than the eyes."

SAD is caused by the brain not receiving enough daylight, which is essential to trigger production of serotonin, a hormone important for regulating mood.

Up to one in four Britons suffer from SAD to some degree. Most are relatively mildy affected, with symptoms limited to lethargy and low spirits. But about seven per cent of the population is thought to have full-blown SAD, according to support groups, leaving them depressed, anxious, and unable to sleep properly.

Modern living has compounded the problem, with many hemmed in by office jobs that in winter finish after dark, leaving little time for exposure to natural daylight.

Companies have been producing 'light boxes' for years, which emit blueish light that mimics daylight.

But Mr Ahopelto said: "With the traditional 'eye route', you need to administer light therapy very carefully, and sit next to the light box for an hour a day."

Many people found this impractical, he said, and studies showed they were only 40 to 60 per cent effective.

By contrast, he said the Valkee device delivered "a better response in a shorter amount of time".

"When you beam the light directly at the brain, it actually works better," he said.

Most benefited from having their session about an hour after waking up, he said, leading to boosted levels of the 'day hormone' serotonin, and reduced levels of the 'night hormone' melatonin, involved with sleep.

"One of the biggest advantages of this is ease of use: commuters can pretend they are listening to music," he said.

At £185 a time, though, the device does not come cheap.

But those tempted to simply shine a Maglight in either ear will find their Heath Robinson method of limited effect, argued Mr Ahopelto, as the light they emit is too yellow.